Interesting Behaviors.

[SoCaliSon]

I am sure I am not the only one here catches myself watching and observing my chams in their cages for extended periods of time. I have seen chams fire out their tongues thousands of times... and I still love it every time. Chameleons are some of the most unique, and interesting species of animal on our planet... and while we focus a lot on this forum about proper care, and husbandry...I wanted to create a discussion on chameleon Behavior.
A place to share, and maybe discuss fun, interesting or unique behaviors you may have witnessed in your Chameleons. It will give us an opprotunity to learn and share about those little things our animlas do we catch onto and wonder about.

Licking, Indecent Exposure, Eye Bulging, Leaf Eating... Whatever the Cham Behavior is New or Old... Questions... Comments... Experiences! Let's geek it out right here!

~Joe

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

Great idea! Clea loves to aim her tongue at my face or finger whenever its feeding time. She also loves to snack on hibiscus leaves and pothos leaves.

OH and whenever she see's me dealing with the babies....i can tell she gets really jealous. She always wants to come out of the cage after.

 

[SoCaliSon]

The thought for this thread came up when I witnessed my Jacksons chameleon do something I had never seen anyone of my other chams do...

He literally walked backwards.

I went in for misting yesterday and Reggie the Jackson was sitting on his front vine like he always does waiting for food. But this time I was misting. When the mist hit him... instead of the retreat that I normally see from my other chams... with a firm grip with their back legs, and quickly reaching for the fastest branch to reatreat to with their front arms; He instead very smoothly and neatly moved his feet in the opposite motion as he would if he were walking forward on a branch, and walked backward instead.

It seems simple enough but it struck me as soon as I saw it... and realized I had never seen another cham do this! Maybe I'm just crazy and never noticed? He didn't even seem ackward as he did it... it seemed to come fairly natural to him.

Has anyone else seen a cham walk foot over foot backwards on a limb?

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

The thought for this thread came up when I witnessed my Jacksons chameleon do something I had never seen anyone of my other chams do...

He literally walked backwards.

I went in for misting yesterday and Reggie the Jackson was sitting on his front vine like he always does waiting for food. But this time I was misting. When the mist hit him... instead of the retreat that I normally see from my other chams... with a firm grip with their back legs, and quickly reaching for the fastest branch to reatreat to with their front arms; He instead very smoothly and neatly moved his feet in the opposite motion as he would if he were walking forward on a branch, and walked backward instead.

It seems simple enough but it struck me as soon as I saw it... and realized I had never seen another cham do this! Maybe I'm just crazy and never noticed? He didn't even seem ackward as he did it... it seemed to come fairly natural to him.

Has anyone else seen a cham walk foot over foot backwards on a limb?

THATS CRAZY

 

[Miss Lily]

I'll start then Joe! A few weeks ago you may remember me posting about Amy and her eye bulging antics. Two nights in a row, I caught her with both eyes bulged right out and she even slept like it! Someone posted that she looked like a hammerhead cham, lol! They were back to normal in the morning on both occasions.

Tommy also has his quirks too! He loves to poke the end of his tail down the front of my tops! He's a dirty ole man, bless him! He was 'feeling' around for a tail hold in my cleavage again tonight! He's such a sweet loveable boy! It's nice to be loved, eh?!!

 

[SoCaliSon]

I'll start then Joe! A few weeks ago you may remember me posting about Amy and her eye bulging antics. Two nights in a row, I caught her with both eyes bulged right out and she even slept like it! Someone posted that she looked like a hammerhead cham, lol! They were back to normal in the morning on both occasions.

Tommy also has his quirks too! He loves to poke the end of his tail down the front of my tops! He's a dirty ole man, bless him! He was 'feeling' around for a tail hold in my cleavage again tonight! He's such a sweet loveable boy! It's nice to be loved, eh?!!

LOL .. Hammerhead Cham.. That is the perfect description. I have seen them do this before also. I remember the first time it freaked me out. Now I started to notice that they do it a lot around shedding time to get that skin around their eyes loosened up.

 

[SoCaliSon]

Great idea! Clea loves to aim her tongue at my face or finger whenever its feeding time. She also loves to snack on hibiscus leaves and pothos leaves.

OH and whenever she see's me dealing with the babies....i can tell she gets really jealous. She always wants to come out of the cage after.

Lombardi does this same thing... I have hand fed him for so long now that everytime I come in he is ready to shoot... and sometimes tags my hand just in case. lol.

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

Lombardi does this same thing... I have hand fed him for so long now that everytime I come in he is ready to shoot... and sometimes tags my hand just in case. lol.

They are some crazy animals!

 

[Miss Lily]

Lombardi does this same thing... I have hand fed him for so long now that everytime I come in he is ready to shoot... and sometimes tags my hand just in case. lol.

Amy does this too, although I don't let her shoot at my empty hands, she lines a hopeful shot up all the same! Since I started feeding 3 times a week, on a 'food day' she'll see me walk up to her viv with something and she'll run through to the front with her tongue at the ready! Gotta love the greedy gals! It's just like someone turns her switch on and it's instant animation, lol!

 

[Silkyslim]

Today is the first full day I have had my sambava panther. He drank 3 times and got to have his first superworm ever! He loved the thing, I was supprised how juicy it was as it spat everywhere when he bit into it and it dribbled on his chin, he looked so satisfied. I decided to keep a little cham journal that I fill out while I find myself losing track of time just watching him go.

 

[summoner12]

when i walk into the cham room Chris (two year old CH melleri) will shoot his tongue at the screen if i don't come over by his cage.

 

[SoCaliSon]

Keep it coming!

when i walk into the cham room Chris (two year old CH melleri) will shoot his tongue at the screen if i don't come over by his cage.

LOL... That is funny Kev. So you guys have a dedicated room now huh... No more fre ranges in the living room?

Come on Kev I expected to hear about Glove Lovin'.. LOL.

I was curious if anyone else knows or has heard of this walking backward thing. Has anyone else seen their chams do this? It was something I had never thought about until I saw it... then I realized I had never seen it before.



Also a note towards the thread in general. I also meant for this to be a place for anyone new to the hobby who may have questions about their chams behavior... and what it may mean. Most of the behaviors we will observe in our chameleons happen for a reason, some we theorize at, and for some it seems they just do it to amuse us. In any case it is always fun to share!

Thanks, Keep it coming!

~Joe